Santa Fe passes same sex marriage resolution

The Santa Fe City Council voted on a resolution to support same sex marriage Wednesday night.

It was a packed house inside council chambers. The crowd even spilled into the hallways, where onlookers peered through the windows to watch the meeting.

After over an hour of discussion, five city councilors voted for same sex marriage, one voted no, and two abstained from voting.

The passage of this resolution doesn't change the law, but it does encourage county clerks to issue marriage licenses to same sex couples. It also pushes for the Attorney General to issue an opinion clarifying New Mexico's law.

After the vote, supporters of same sex marriage erupted in applause.

"I have never felt such joy. It's amazing. This is about equality," supporter Carol Norris said.

But opponents of the resolution had some strong words for what happened.

"Satan is, I believe...and I really mean this, Satan is down in Hell clapping at this point over what they have just done," Father Duncan Lanum at St. Thomas Anglican Church said.

He said he fears this will also just further divide the residents of Santa Fe.

Supporters say they hope this is just one step closer to their goal of legalizing same sex marriage across the country.